What To Expect

What‘s Included

Reviews

• Great Local Tour with Tauranga Tasting Tours & Charters

  Sherry A,,Dec 14, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Paul, from Tauranga Tasting Tours & Charters, was our driver and guide. Our ship was a little late arriving so we communicated using the Viator app to provide our status. Paul was very accommodating. This was a private tour so it was just my husband and me. The car was new and very comfortable. The tour was exactly as described in the Viator description. There was a large selection of beer, cider and gin for the first tasting so we were able to select what we each liked. The tasting room had a view of the brewing equipment and Paul walked us through the process. It was very interesting. The wine tasting was in a restaurant that is part of complex called Skyline Rotorua which also provides activities such as a zip-line, mountain biking and luge rides. There were great views of the valley from the restaurant and from the gondola on the way up and down. We tasted several good wines from the Volcanic Hills winery (note that, as described in the tour, this is a tasting, not a visit to the winery or vineyards). We were lucky to be there when the owner was there and enjoyed visiting with him and gaining his perspective of the wine industry. Our favourite wine was the rosé and we bought a couple of bottles. The charcuterie board that we shared was very tasty, especially the chutney! It complemented the wines very well Our last stop was at a marina for a cocktail and dessert. It was a pretty spot, not far from our ship. Along the way, Paul provided information about New Zealand industries and culture. We made a few short stops to see a beautiful beach, a kiwi plantation, and a lovely waterfall where people were white water rafting. We enjoyed this tour very much. We also felt it was good value as it included the tasting fees, drinks and food, and the gondola ride. We definitely recommend this tour with Tauranga Tasting Tours & Charters.

• Great Tour with Tauranga Tasting Tours & Charters

  Sherry A,,Dec 14, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  Paul, from Tauranga Tasting Tours & Charters, was our driver and guide. Our ship was a little late arriving so we communicated using the Viator app to provide our status. Paul was very accommodating. This was a private tour so it was just my husband and me. The car was new and very comfortable. The tour was exactly as described in the Viator description. There was a large selection of beer, cider and gin for the first tasting so we were able to select what we each liked. The tasting room had a view of the brewing equipment and Paul walked us through the process. It was very interesting. The wine tasting was in a restaurant that is part of complex called Skyline Rotorua which also provides activities such as a zip-line, mountain biking and luge rides. There were great views of the valley from the restaurant and from the gondola on the way up and down. We tasted several good wines from the Volcanic Hills winery (note that, as described in the tour, this is a tasting, not a visit to the winery or vineyards). We were lucky to be there when the owner was there and enjoyed visiting with him and gaining his perspective of the wine industry. Our favourite wine was the rosé and we bought a couple of bottles. The charcuterie board that we shared was very tasty, especially the chutney! It complemented the wines very well Our last stop was at a marina for a cocktail and dessert. It was a pretty spot, not far from our ship. Along the way, Paul provided information about New Zealand industries and culture. We made a few short stops to see a beautiful beach, a kiwi plantation, and a lovely waterfall where people were white water rafting. We enjoyed this tour very much. We also felt it was good value as it included the tasting fees, drinks and food, and the gondola ride. We definitely recommend this tour with Tauranga Tasting Tours & Charters.

• Not to be missed!

  323jpt,,Dec 9, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Excellent tour. Paul is very knowledgable about wine and the area - he made us feel welcome and went above and beyond to make the tour fun and interesting. Would highly recommend,

• Paul was a fantastic...

  Judy K,,Nov 23, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  Paul was a fantastic travel guide. We learned so much about the area. Also he showed us a kiwi orchard which wasn’t on the itinerary. It was a fabulous day.

• Great tasting tour!

  Daniel H,,Oct 22, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  Great tasting experience in Tauranga with Paul. He was an excellent host, and despite the small tour size, had a header in the van so everyone could hear his island commentary. Stated with a beer/cider/gin tasting with a “flight” of 5 samples you choose, a winery sample on a mountain accessible via gondola, and back in town to a dessert with coffee or cocktail. All tastings were fabulous, and mixed between Paul’s tour and commentary about the island. Great activity for a cruise port stop!

• Great Shore Excursion

  Lisa H,,Oct 18, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  We had a great time on our tour. Paul met us at the port and we headed out for a brief tour of Tauranga. We stopped at the beach before heading for a beer tasting at Rising Tide. Then off to Rotorua for our ride up the Skyway and a wine tasting. Then back to the city for a delicious cocktail and dessert. Throughout the whole tour Paul shared great information about Tauranga that gave us insight into the area. We definitely recommend the tour for visitors.

• Sipping from the Mountain Tops

  Randy R,,May 12, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  On this tour you get see a lot that is not included in the description making it a great value. We saw a lot of Tauranga and the surrounding country side with stops for beer, seltzer and wine tastings. The wine tasting is at the top of a ski lift with an unbelievable view of the surrounding country side. The owner of the winery and vineyard conducts the tasting and provides an entertaining dialogue and exceptional explanation of the differences between NZ, Australian and American wines and the reasons why. Also make a quick stop to see how kiwi are grown.

• A great tasting tour

  alisonanderson918,,Mar 14, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  A wonderful day of beer and wine tasting, stunning scenery and a lovely cocktail and desert to finish the day off! Our guide Paul was knowledgeable about wine and clearly loves where he lives. His sense of humour and quick one liners kept us engaged all day. The trip was well organised and we were picked up and dropped off at our accommodation in a timely manner. Would highly recommend.

• Sydney friends on winery tour

  Dianne T,,Mar 5, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  Excellent value for money, exceeded expectations great operator. Picked us up from the port with no hassle’s

• Paul’s a Pro!

  DonnAllan T,,Mar 5, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  Paul not only knows the area, because he was born and raised in the area. We learned a lot about the history of Tauranga, saw some beautiful homes and beaches, as well as some white water rafters. He also really knows his wine! The beer tasting at a local brewery was also fun. I would have preferred going to another winery in lieu of having a cocktail at the marina. We would definitely have Paul guide us again!

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